Dolittle (2020)

Dolittle (2020)

3/10

Starring

Robert Downey Jr.

Antonio Banderas

Michael Sheen

Emma Thompson

Directed by Stephen Gaghan

                                                        --- Contains Spoilers ---

The whole animal puppeteer (or CGI) is cool, the voice casting is magnificent and Robert Downey Jr. as Dr. Dolittle is eye catching with his eccentric behavior. Now that is the end of the positives because other than that the whole movie is a let down. The story is chaotic and if you can remember how well put together Eddie Murphy’s Doctor Dolittle (1998) movie version was, you will instantly dislike this.

Made primarily for younger children, you will wonder how the movie expected to make its money back, with such a huge budget and bad story.

The movie comes with some slight commentary, which can be irritating to adults, but very important for children because of the way the movie jumps from one thing to another. I felt like the writers themselves must have attention deficit disorder.

For a view time of like ninety minutes which is short in comparison to the kind of movies done these days, the way the writing was done, it made the movie feel longer. I was just eager for them to get to where the fruit was and we can get along with everything else.

Based on Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting, Dolittle is a doctor who can speak to animals. Like the the Doctor Dolittle (1998), he is not a veterinarian, he just has the gift.

This Dolittle in this 2020 adaptation used to be adventurous and spent his time helping others. His adventures led him to meet his wife, someone he loved dearly. He helped so many people that the Queen gifted him a huge home to which he can live with his animals.

When his wife died during one of her adventures, Dolittle closed himself out to the world and became reclusive fellow who just spent his time with his animals.

Somewhere else a young animal lover Tommy, was going hunting with his father and brother. He not wanting to shoot a duck shot in the air and hit a flying squirrel by mistake. His father gave him a knife to kill the squirrel, but Tommy spared the animals life and then a parrot squeaked at him to follow her. Tommy did and the parrot led him to Dolittle’s home, where Tommy met Princess Rose, who came to Dolittle’s home based on orders from the Queen.

They both go into the house and Dolittle saved the squirrel’s life and Rose informed him that the Queen is ill and near death. Reluctant Dolittle goes to the Queen to discover she was really ill and only a mystic fruit can save her.

With Tommy now becoming his apprentice, they set forth on the journey by sea to find the fruit and save the Queen.

This movie is one of those that will best missed than seen.